Julia Konner travels all-around the world before landing in Sacramento

State Hornet Staff

Imagine traveling back-and-forth across the world from the time you were born, then someday ending up in Sacramento, Calif. with a full ride gymnastics scholarship to a Division I university.

Such a life sounds quite normal for Sacramento State freshman gymnast Julia Konner.

But then again, having a dual-citizenship between the US and Australia and moving three times across the continents by the age of five might do that for a person.

Konner’s mother Jan Konner said traveling is second nature to Julia and her older brother Scott. She said they were each barely a month old when they made their first international flights and acknowledged Julia traveled a long way from Maryland to attend Sac State.

“They’ve never stopped traveling since,” Konner said. “With Scott doing a solo journey to Australia as a teenager and Julia making the cross-country trek by car to come to Sacramento.”

This outgoing life stemmed from Julia’s father Calvin Konner and his long-time work as an American diplomat. He has been serving for over thirty years and made moves to Europe, Latin America, Asia, Australia and Tanzania.

“We moved to Mongolia, but in time for Julia’s birth, we went back to Australia where there were better health facilities,” Jan Konner said.

Julia Konner’s only surviving grandparents are in Australia, along with other members of her extended family, which give her reasons to go and visit as often as possible.

A few other places the Konners have stamped in their passports during Calvin Konner’s venture are Britain, New Zealand, and Haiti; with vacations to China, France, Mexico, Morocco (and) Argentina.

“We just love traveling, my family, so we’ve been all over the place,” Julia Konner said. “Last summer we went to Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos and I loved that; just experiencing a different lifestyle.”

Jan Konner said moving the family was so used to moving it fortunately didn’t affect the kids too much.

“While it may have been a little unsettling, what could replace exposure to a variety of the world’s cultures?” Konner said. “Julia has ridden an elephant in Asia, was bitten by a monkey in Africa, gone horse riding in South America and has had close-up face time with kangaroos and koalas in Australia.”

Konner also said it was important while having a comfortable middle-class upbringing, her children were exposed to extreme poverty of people in places like Haiti and Shanghai.

“She has been thrust into environments where she couldn’t speak the language, but was inevitably affected by the sights, sounds and smells of everything around her,“ Jan Konner said. “With no coaxing from her parents, Julia has indicated an interest in working overseas with some of the world’s disadvantaged.”

Julia Konner said she enjoys the study of science and understanding the body. Working in nutrition of some for would be ideal, she said.

“I really want to use the health science major for something like international aid work,” Konner said. “Just living overseas helping people.”

With the desire to better herself outside the country, Konner maintains a similar lifestyle as a student athlete.

“Number one, we saw someone with good skills, good academics and she showed an interest in us as well,” said Sac State gymnastics head coach Kim Hughes. “She is obviously someone who has a desire to be part of a team and develop her skills to be at the high level that we’re trying to achieve as a team.”

Konner has already won two Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Newcomer of the Week honors in during the first three meets of her collegiate career.

“It again showed how prepared she was, early,” Hughes said. “It’s not like she had to get a bunch of meets under her belt to get out there and perform and show that she can do things.”

Hughes said he has noticed unique vitality in Konner as a freshman. Along with competing three events in her breakout season, Konner was top of the team in preseason strength testing and weightlifting coach Tom DiStasio mentioned to Hughes that Konner is doing exceptionally well in the weight room.

“Coaching staff wise, you can’t not like somebody who trains as hard as she does,” Hughes said. “Personality wise, she’s a very pleasant person. She doesn’t complain and works hard, so you got to like that.”

Konner said she came to college with a fresh mindset, ready for the next chapter of her life. and hopes to continue to travel the world and embrace her adventurous passions.

“People ask if it’s really different (living abroad), but I don’t remember a lot of it, which is why I want to live overseas.” Julia Konner said. “My parents loved it and I don’t think they regret traveling around their whole lives.”

Jillian Kweller can be reached on Twitter @JillianKweller